Rudder-brake.



No. 688,847. Patented 0%.17, lam. .u. s. w. GRENFELL.

RUBBER BRAKE.

(Application filed Aug. 24, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 17, I90l. J. S. W. GRENFELL.

RUDDER BRAKE.

Application filed Aug 24. 1901.\

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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Patented Dec. l7, l90l.

L L E F N E R G W 8 I 7 4 8 8 6 o N RUBBER BRAKE.

(Application filed Aug. 24, 1901 3 Sheets-$heeit ,3.

(No Model.)

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UNITED Srarns Parent rricn.

JOHN SAMUEL WALTERS GRENFELL, OF I-IARTLAND, ENGLAND.

Roxanna-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of. Letters Patent N 0. 688,847, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed August 24,1901. serial N0.'73,195. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN SAMUEL WAL- TERS GRENFELL, a subject of the King of England, residing at Hartland, in the county of Devon, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Rudder-Brake, (for which I have made application for Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 3,l 83,dated February 14, 1901,) of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in brakes for ships rudders, the object being to provide an apparatus which will frictionally secure the rudder-head and prevent the rudder from swinging freely when the steering-gear or the rudder-chain breaks.

According to this invention when the rate of motion of the rudder gets beyond control a rudder-brake is automatically brought into action by any ordinary speed-regulating governor which is actuated by the movement of the rudder.

In a convenient form of rudder-brake a quadrant is fixed to the rudder-head, rotating therewith, and a brake-block is arranged to be brought into contact with the surface of the quadrant. The brake-block is controlled by a cam pivoted behind it and provided with suitable springs to hold the camin and out of gear and prevent shock when the brakeblock is being forced against the surface of the quadrant. Attached to the cam-spindle is a loose lever, the end of which is suspended above the quadrant upon a crank or projection on a cross-shaft. The crossshaft is also provided with another projection which epgages with a lever connected to the governor-rin g, so that when the speed of the governor exceeds a certain determined amount the lever and projection are raised and the crank is thrown out of gearwith the lever, which consequently falls upon the quadrant. Upright studs are fixed to the quadrant, and these engage with the lever, so that as the rudder swings around the cam is rotated slightly and forces .the brake-block against the rudder-head quadrant, bringing the rudder to rest. The rotation ofthe governor is effected through friction rollers, which transmit motion from the quadrant to a roller on the governor-shaft, the frictionrollers being suitably adjustable. Conveniently one brake is arranged on each. side'of the governor, and each cam works in either direction, bringing the brake-block into action when revolved either way. To bring the cam and lever back into their normal positions when the steering-gear or rudder-chain has been repaired, a lever with a socketed end maybe provided to fit onto the cam-lever to turn the cam by hand. The crank may also be thrown out of gear with the cam -lever simply by turning back the cross-shaft, and this may be conveniently eifected by having a communication from the bridge to a lever on the cross-shaft.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a steeringgear provided with the improved automatic brake. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional elevations of the same construction in different positions, and Figs. 4: and 5 illustrate certain details in the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the rudder-head A is provided with a quadrant B, comprising two separate arcs, the lower arc B engaging with the rudder-chain O and the upper are 13 adapted to come into contact with the fric-' tion brake-blocks D. The are E is arranged below and inside the arc B so as to allow the rudder-chain to work clear of the brakeblocks. The brake-blocks are attached to spring-frames D, which are movable within fixed guides D The motion of each frame D is eifected by means of a cam E, pivoted on a bolt E or equivalent passing through the base-plate of the apparatus and the deck and provided with an operating-lever E, which is capable of turning freely in a vertical direction relative to the cam E, but which is arranged to rotate the cam when turned in a horizontal plane. The free end of the lever F is suspended above the quadrant-arc ]3 upon cranks or projections G, formed on a cross-shaft G. The cross-shaft G is also provided with another projection G which engages with a lever H, which is actuated by an ordinary speedregulating governor J, the

IOO

F, which consequently falls upon the are 13 of the quadrant B. Upright studs B are fixed to the are 13*, and these engage with the levers I when they fall, so that as the rudderhead A revolves the cams E are rotated slightly and force the brake-block I) against the arc B thus bringing the rudder-head A The governor J is provided at the foot of the spindle with a roller J and two friction-rollers K, supported on crossed levers K, pivoted at K are arranged to transmit motion from the are B to the governorroller J The crossed levers K may be brought together or separated, so as to put the rollers K into and out of engagement with the arc B and roller J a standard L supporting a right and'left hand screw M, which engages the ends of the levers K and which can be turned by means of a hole and handlever to adjust the position of the rollers K. A brake-block D is placed on each side of the governor J, and the cams E are formed so that rotation in either direction causes the frames I) to move forward and bring the brake-blocks into action.

The operations of the apparatus take place as follows: When the ship is sailing in smooth sea without risk of accident to the steeringgear, the rollers K are kept out of gear, with the result that the rudder can be moved without affecting the governor. When a storm is anticipated, the right and left hand screw .M is rotated so as to bring the rollers K into gear with the are E and roller J and the governor J is then actuated by the rotation of the rudder-head A. Should the steeringgear or the rudder-chain 0 break, the rudder being free to swing on its bearings will be suddenly thrown over by the waves, and the increased speed of rotation of the rudderhead will cause the governor to rise beyond the normal height and to raise the lever II and the projection G thereby releasing the levers F from the crank G and allowing them to fall upon the arc B and engage with the studs B Further rotation of the rudderhead A forces the levers F on one side, and

the corresponding rotation of the cams E causes the frames D to slide forward and press the brake-blocks 1) against the are 13*, thereby bringing the rudder to rest. To bring the cams and levers back into their normal positions when the steering-gear or rudderchain 0 has been repaired, a lever N with a socketed end N is fitted onto the cam-lever F and the lever is turned back, and the point of the cam E then comes into contact with the back of the frame D and forces the frame andthe brake-block D backward out of contact with the are 13 The socketed lever N may be bent or formed with an elbow instead of being straight, as shown in the drawings. Holes F are formed in the free ends of the levers F, so that a book may be attached to them for the purpose of operating the levers by rope or other gearing, if necessary.

Communication can be made from the bridge by fixing a lever O to the cross-shaft G and connecting it with the bridge by a suitable arrangement of levers or other means, or a projection, such as G and lever, such as 11, maybe used instead of the lever 0. This arrangement maybe used in conjunction with the governor, or the governor may be dispensed with and the connection with the bridge or other hand-operated mechanism be relied on for controlling the brake.

If desired, the arcs of the quadrant may be transposed, the chain-arc B being above the brake-arc B in which case the levers F must be lengthened to correspond. The studs B are preferably tapered toward the bottom and the levers I rounded at theends, so that when they are thrown off from the arc B should the rudder swing back again the studs B will not engage with the levers F and put the brake out of action again.

Acentrifugal governor has been illustrated in the drawings; but any other form of speedregulating governor may be used. The brake mechanism has been described specially with reference to a ships rudder; but itis obvious that it might be employed in connection with any similar gear.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rudder-brake, the combination ofa quadrant on the rudder-head, an are for the rudder-chain on the quadrant and an are for the brake on the quadrant.

2. In a rudder-brake, the combination of a quadrant on the rudder-head, an are for the rudder-chain on the quadrant, an are for the brake on the quadrant and a speed-regulating governor operated by the quadrant and arranged to apply the brake.

3. In a rudder-brake, the combination of a quadrant on the rudder-head, an arc for'the rudder-chain on the quadrant, an are for the brake on the quadrant and a manual devic for applying the brake.

4. In a rudder-brake, the combination of a quadrant on the rudder-head, an are for the rudder-chain on the quadrant, an are for the brake on the quadrant, projections on the quadrant, a lever arranged to engage with the -IIO projections, and a governor operated by the quadrant and arranged to put the lever into engagement with the projections to apply the brake.

5. In a rudder-brake, the combination of a quadrant on the rudder-head, an are for the quadrant, a lever arranged to engage with the projections, a cam operated by the lever, a spring-frame moved by the cam and carrying a brake-block engaging With the brakingarc and a governor actuated by the quadrant and arranged to put the lever into engagement With the projections to apply the brake.

7. In a rudder-brake, the combination of a quadrant on the rudder-head, an are for the rudder-chain on the quadrant, an are for the brake on the quadrant, projections on the quadrant, a lever arranged to engage with the projections, a cam operated by the lever, a spring-frame moved by the cam, a brakeblock on the frame engaging with the braking-arc, a governor actuated by the quadrant and a lever operated by the governor to put the cam-lever into engagement with the projections to apply the brake.

S. In a rudder-brake, the combination of a quadrant on the rudder-head, an are for the rudder-chain on the quadrant, an arc for the brake on the quadrant, projections on the quadrant, a lever arranged to engage with the projections, a cam operated by the lever, a spring-frame moved by the cam, a brakeblock on the frame engaging "with the brak ing-arc, a governor actuated by the quadrant, a cross-shaft having a crank normally supporting the cam-lever, a projection on the cross-shaft and a lever operated by the governor to raise the projection and rotate the shaft and put the cam-lever into engagement with the projections to apply the brake.

9. In a rudder-brake, the combination of a quadrant on the rudder-head, an are for the rudder-chain on the quadrant, an are for the brake on the quadrant, projections on the quadrant, a lever arranged to engage With the projections, a cam operated by the lever, a spring-frame moved by the cam, a brakeblock on the frame engaging with the brakin g-arc, a governor actuated by the quadrant, adjustable rollers to transmit rotation from the quadrant to thegovernor, a cross-shaft having a crank normally supporting the camlever, a projection on the cross-shaft and a lever operated by the governor to raise the projection and rotate the shaft thereby putting the cam-lever into engagement with the projections on the rotating quadrant.

10. In a rudder-brake, the combination of a quadrant on the rudder-head, an are for the rudder-ehaimon the quadrant, an are for the brake on the quadrant, projections on the quadrant, a lever arranged to engage With the projections, a cam operated by the lever, a spring-frame moved by the cam, a brakeblock on the frame engaging With the braking-arc, a cross-shaft having a crank normally supporting the cam-lever and a hand-lever on the cross-shaft arranged to rotate the shaft and to put the cam-lever into engagement with the projections to apply the brake.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN SAMUEL WALTERS GRENFELTI- [L. s]

\Vitnesses:

Rornar WILLIAM Dlmnntllt J Urey, JOHN JOLLY STEPHENS. 

